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Updated: Aug 12, 2026

Dissecting the Non-human Primate Brain in Stereotaxic Space
Published on: July 16, 2009
The evolution of nonhuman primate social behavior
1Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens 30602.
Abstract:
A review of the recent literature concerning evolutionary mechanisms and possible genetic contributions to social behavior reveals a concentration on function rather than mechanism. Although functional consequences may influence future genetic changes in a population, they do not necessarily reflect evolutionary history. More important, genes cannot code for functions. Only when the anatomical structures and behavioral patterns of individuals are described can we study genetic contributions to social organization. Discussions of function in the abstract, without specification of mechanism, do not fall within the realm of scientific testing.
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